A blog for vintage Barbie collectors, and all those who loved Barbie growing up and still love her today! For more detailed information on the complete vintage era, foreign dolls, history, and even some newer dolls, please visit my reference website at: www.MyVintageBarbies.com

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Barbie recently visited the happiest place on earth; Disneyland,
in Southern California. She went in late
Fall, which was a perfect time to go.There were far less crowds, and the weather was pleasantly warm.

Famous photo spot just as you enter the park

Barbie went dressed in a 1990 “modified” Heart Family outfit
which was released for Disney’s 35th anniversary.When looking for the right clothes for her
trip, I had searched my daughter’s old Barbie dolls and there it was. Disney Heart
Family set, used, but completely intact.I added a navy blue mini skirt to update the outfit, and she was off on
her adventure.

﻿
﻿

Vintage doll and 35th Anniversary Doll (1990)

Once at the park, besides all the amusing rides, tasty food,
and entertaining performers, Barbie found some fascinating hidden gems that most
people don’t realize are there.

Disneyland had its grand opening on
the afternoon of July 17, 1955, to invited guests and media only.The park only had eighteen attractions at the
time, and many think that the Matterhorn Bobsleds were one of the original
attractions. In reality, the first
“thrill” ride didn’t open until 1959, the exact same year Barbie debuted.﻿﻿

The structure has had several modifications throughout the
years, but the 147 foot tall mountain still remains one of the most popular
rides in the park.The first tubular
steel track coaster in the world zigzags throughout the bottom two-thirds of Matterhorn
Mountain.The top one third of the
mountain houses a basketball court, which was built for Disney employees to use!

Matterhorn Mountain (1st thrill ride at Disneyland)

When you arrive at
Disneyland, you first walk down picturesque Main Street.It was built as a replica of Walt Disney’s
childhood hometown of Marceline, Missouri.You will even smell the scent of vanilla most of the year, except at
Christmastime when it changes to peppermint!

Main Street USA

Walt Disney also wanted his family dog Lady somewhere in the
park.You can find that famous pooch inside
the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.He is the medium-size mixed breed poodle holding the keys in his mouth guarding
the jail cells, as you approach the end of the ride.I knew I would have liked that man!

﻿

Pirates of the Caribbean

As you stroll through New
Orleans square you will come upon a door that has the number 33 next to
it.This is Club 33, which is a VIP
private club with a very long waiting list (years), as well as very expensive
initiation and annual fees.Many
celebrities and other distinguished guests have frequented the place. It’s the
only establishment in Disneyland that serves alcohol.However, alcohol is served at California
Adventure, which is another Disney theme park.It is a lot of fun and right next door!

﻿

New Orleans Square

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Club 33

The Disneyland Fire Department, which is located on Main
Street’s Town Square, is one of the original attractions from 1955.Inside there is wonderful memorabilia, such
as the old horse drawn fire wagon that was used during the first 5 years, taking
guests up and down Main Street.Also since
opening day in 1955, the Disneyland barbershop quartet still performs several
times each day in front of the station.Above
the fire department there is a small apartment where Walt Disney would stay
when he visited the park. If the light was on, that meant he was on site.Today, since his death, it remains on all the
time.

Disneyland Fire Department

﻿﻿

The last little tidbit of information that you might find
interesting as you stroll the streets of this happy place is in Sleeping
Beauty’s Castle, on your way to Fantasy Land.Look down at the floor and find the spike. It marks the exact center of
the park (well, that was until Mickey’s Toon Town was built!).

﻿﻿

Sleeping Beauty's Castle

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Spike in the floor in Sleeping Beauty's Castle

﻿﻿﻿

If you’re looking for some vintage Disney clothing for your dolls,
you’ll have to look past the vintage years to the 1980’s and 1990’s and
beyond.For some reason, Barbie and
Disney didn’t team up until then.In
2005, for Disneyland’s Golden anniversary, the “Barbie Then and Now” doll
debuted.The 1955 “Then” doll was
dressed in a “Mouseketeers” outfit, which is the outfit that was worn on The
Mickey Mouse Club that premiered in 1955.

2005 Disneyland's 50th Anniversary "Then and Now" doll

﻿

Barbie loves Disneyland and if you have never visited, be
sure to add it to your bucket list.You’ll be glad you did!

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

In 1967 the ever so popular #1162 Twist ’n Turn Trade-In
Barbie was one of Mattel’s most successful Barbie Doll promotions of all
time!

#1162 Barbie

Barbie underwent a total make-over for this rollout.
She had a brand new head mold, her waist could twist and turn, she had long
rooted eyelashes, and beautiful long uneven cut hair with a few side pieces
that were pulled to the top of her head to form a tiny ponytail. She also had a
softer pink skin tone to her body.

Mattel’s ad campaign was very effective, which was mostly
due to the television ad that starred Maureen McCormick, who later played Marsha
Brady on the Brady Bunch television show (1969-1974). In just the first month (May 1967),
there were 1,250,000 dolls that were traded-in during the promotion. All
the old dolls that Mattel received were given to charity. It makes you
wonder how many number 1 and 2 ponytail dolls were in the bunch!

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿

1967 Television Ad

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Magazine Ad from Family Circle Magazine (1967)

To acquire this new mod Barbie doll, all you had to do was take your old Barbie doll, in any condition, to a participating toy store along with $1.50 (which was half the price of a new doll at the time). In exchange, you would be handed the new mod Twist ‘n Turn Barbie doll in the hair color of your choice; Sun Kissed (light blonde), Summer Sand (ash blond), Chocolate Bon Bon (dark brown) or Go Go Co Co (Light Brown). Even though these dolls had cool names for their hair colors, the boxes were marked with the actual humdrum hair color name.

Barbie came
wearing a salmon two-piece swim suit made of a vinyl type material with a
one-piece swimsuit, which was white cloth netting trimmed in salmon that went
over the top. She wore a matching salmon colored hair ribbon in her hair.
On her wrist was the official Barbie wrist tag. A paper fashion booklet
titled “The World of Barbie Fashions” was included as well. She was
packaged in a sealed plastic bag and she and all of the items listed came
inside the official Trade-In box. The #1162 and the #1160 model dolls are
identical, except for their box, and the #1162 trade-in doll did not come with
the X stand that can be flipped over and used as a chair.

﻿﻿﻿

Notice the hair color on the end flap of the box

Today, there is
some controversy around some of the rare, unusual hair colors that can be found
on these dolls, such as titian, eggplant, champagne, and platinum. Some
of the dolls with these uncommon hair colors have simply changed over time from
their original color which was caused by oxidization. But I believe
Mattel added some to the mix, either as a prototype, or just for fun!

﻿

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This TNT has the Platinum/Silver Hair Color

This was and still is one of my favorite Barbie dolls of all time. Being one of the lucky girls who traded in one of my old dolls for the pretty new and up-to-date mod Barbie is reminiscent of my childhood, and is a very special memory for me.

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About Me

I'm Marie, and as you can see I love collecting Barbie. I've been collecting vintage Barbie dolls for over twenty-five years!I'm married to my high school sweetheart, and we have three children, five grandchildren, and a loveable Standard Poodle puppy. We live in the beautiful state of Oregon on five peaceful acres. Country living is just the best! We are close to the Ocean, which is my favorite, and we are a short drive to the mountains as well. Oregon has the best of both worlds! We also love photography and traveling, so you'll find a bit of that here too.

Be sure to check out my reference web site! There is so much information and history!

My Hubby, Keith

Wilson

Our Standard Poodle

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